Microsoft forces Win10 1709 upgrades on PCs set to restrict telemetry

Admin9-03-2018, 06:0166

This happened to me last night. In the past I’ve been updated to the next feature update always through Windows Update. This time WU checked like always and it said I was up to date. About 30 minutes later, a box pops on my screen and informs me that there are security updates available and that it needs to update to latest version of Windows 10 to be able to install them and then starts the update.

I have Dell XPS8900 with version 1703 and when the update finished, I had version 1709, but no sound, no color ( everything black and white ), reinstall software notifications and errors saying certain shortcut keys are not available.

[In the Windows Update Advanced Options pane (screenshot),] I had pause on for 35 days enabled and 365 days set on feature updates. After restoring an image and disabling WU service, the forced update began to update all over again !!! The first time it came on I didn’t catch it until it was 80% done and had to let it finish. The second time it popped up, I killed it before it got started. If all of settings are set to defer and update service is turned off, it would seem that this update was directly downloaded and didn’t update through WU. If this is the case, how do you stop something like that ?

This isn’t the first time Microsoft has forced Win10 1709 upgrades onto machines that were specifically set to prevent the upgrade. Forced upgrades snared Win10 customers previously on two occasions:

If you're currently running Windows 10 Version 1507, Version 1511, Version 1607 or Version 1703, you can expect to receive a notification that states that your device has to have the latest security updates installed. Windows Update will then try to update your device…

Windows 10 version 1607 and version 1703 are not yet at "end of service." However, they must be updated to the latest versions of Windows 10 to ensure protection from the latest security threats.

Which seems to imply that Microsoft isn’t going to put much effort into security patches for Win10 1607 or 1703 any more, regardless of their end-of-service dates. As of this moment, Win10 1607 Home and Pro hit end of service next month (1607 Enterprise and Education have been extended to Oct. 9). Win10 1703 Home and Pro reach end of service in October (1703 Enterprise and Education stretch out to April 2019).

This latest pushed upgrade seems to involve an obscure setting called the Diagnostic Data level. As best I can tell, Win10 1607 and 1703 machines with the Diagnostic Data level set to zero – the "Security” setting – are getting forced onto Win10 version 1709. Those who send more data to Microsoft – say, the "Basic Health & Quality” level – don’t seem to be getting the forced upgrade.

Put another way, if this analysis is correct: if you’ve set your machine to send the minimum amount of telemetry to Microsoft, you’re going to get upgraded.

Moreover, this forced upgrade doesn’t go through Windows Update. It happens even if you’ve turned the Windows Update service off. Per @abbodi86:

The upgrade to the latest Windows 10 version is being delivered in two ways now: The usual one through Windows Update, which I suppose respects deferral settings/policies; and one through Update Assistant, which may not comply with deferral settings/policies.

Microsoft has released an update directly to the Windows Update client to improve reliability. Any device running Windows 10 configured to receive updates automatically from Windows Update, including Enterprise and Pro editions, will be offered the latest Windows 10 Feature Update based on device compatibility and Windows Update for Business deferral policy. This does not apply to long-term servicing editions.

And the Configure Windows Update for Business site says:

For Windows Update for Business policies to be honored, the Diagnostic Data level of the device must be set to 1 (Basic) or higher. If it is set to 0 (Security), Windows Update for Business policies will have no effect.

How can you tell if your machine has its Diagnostic Data level set to zero? The easiest way I’ve found is to go into the Settings Feedback & diagnostics pane (Start > Settings > Privacy > Feedback & diagnostics; see screenshot); if either Basic or Full is checked, you’re fine.

feedback diag 1703 Woody Leonhard

If those options are grayed out, it’s possible your Diagnostic Data level has been set to zero through a Group Policy (or maybe a registry?) setting. The Diagnostic Data level can be set through the Group Policy editor (GPedit.msc) at Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Data Collection and Preview Builds > Allow Telemetry.

I’ve seen reports that running the O&O Shutup10 tool can, in some circumstances at least, set the Diagnostic Data level to zero.

It looks like you can roll back from 1709 to your previous version, as long as you haven’t run a disk cleanup in the interim. Click Start > Settings > Update & security > Recovery. Under Go back to the previous version of Windows 10, click Get started. And pray.